Outcomes
by gromittd
Summary: The engagement is off - A Short Story - You pick when you want the story to end.


**Outsmarted.**

Disclaimer: The following fan fiction is just that fan fiction. No breach of copyright is intended etc. etc. All characters remain the property of all the copyright holders.

The strident tones of Akane lambasting Ranma proceeded Akane and Ranma's arrival by nearly five minutes, giving ample time for the rest of the household to figuratively batten down the hatches for the coming storm.

While the fact that Akane was glowing and that Ranma was sporting a near compete set of cut, bruises and assorted abrasions did not surprise or particularly concern the waiting members of the Tendo household. In fact as part of the usual, for this was an almost daily occurrence in the Tendo house, some members were already on the wind up for starting their own tirade against the unfortunate Ranma.

That whatever had happened was Ranma's fault had already been decided, as had the script for browbeating Ranma into submission and hopefully marriage. Unfortunately for those who were consistently planning for Ranma's marriage to the youngest Tendo, namely Akane, the last words to beat Akane and Ranma through the door were those shrieked by Akane were those that they knew would set back their plans once again.

"THE ENGAGEMENT IS OFF."

Having screamed these words back over her shoulder Akane turned to look into the house itself where her father, Ranma's father and her sisters Kasumi and Nabiki were waiting.

For a moment the players in the little drama froze as they all considered their next move.

As Ranma stepped quietly into the room waiting for the lectures to come from his father and Soun Tendo the deadlock was broken as Akane noticed the smirk on Nabiki's face and the laughter in her sister's eyes.

"FINE" Akane yelled, leaning forward until her face was only inches from Nabikis "If you think it's so funny you marry him!"

Whatever response Akane was planning on evoking was conspicuous by it's absence.

Nabiki with an air of studied nonchalance, while still maintaining her trademark smirk flipped open a mobile phone, seemingly from nowhere, and punched up a number she had previously stored.

"Code green" Nabiki said in a neutral voice "I say again code green."

Closing the phone with a snap, Nabiki looked across at Ranma catching his eye and motioning with her head for him to head upstairs. Not waiting for any repines, though Ranma bounded gracefully to the first floor of the house upon Nabiki's signal, Nabiki ran up the stairs two and three at a time.

As those on the ground floor heard the doors upstairs open and close, Akane looked around searching for any answers for her middle sister's and Ranma's behaviour, when no-one moved Akane returned to watching the stairs for the reappearance of Ranma and Nabiki.

Akane would have remained standing where she was if not for the knocking on the front door. When no-one else moved Akane found herself moving to answer the door.

Standing at the door s a neatly dressed man, amazingly average in appearance, so average in fact that his presence did not register until he spoke.

"So where is the happy couple?"

At this point Akane's mind shutdown completely. It was only after a brief ceremony and a mad dash by Ranma and Nabiki for the limousine that had appeared quietly at the front gate that Akane managed to stumble over to the couch and collapse next to Kasumi.

Kasumi looked wide-eyed at Akane. "Oh my" she said.

**THE END (Or maybe read a little further).**

Nabiki and Ranma settled comfortably into the luxurious back seat of the hired limousine.

Nabiki was extremely happy with the limousine, it wasn't even costing her anything, a small favour here, a little bit of help there and the owner was happy to loan her the limousine.

Resting back comfortably in the cushioned seat Nabiki popped open the champagne and poured a glass for Ranma. Ranma accepted the glass and watched as Nabiki poured a second glass for herself.

As their glasses clinked Ranma said "So, when do you think they'll realise it's April fool's day?"

**THE END (Or maybe read a little further).**

"You did WHAT?!" Nabiki yelled. Nabiki's face was a ruddy red, owing more to a slight overindulgence in champagne, something she was just not used to, than to anger at her father and Ranma's fathers actions.

"We found out about your little plan" Genma gloated "and replaced your fake marriage celebrant with a real one!"

Nabiki glanced across at her father blubbering in the corner, tear were starting to form a small puddle around him as Kasumi wheeled out an intravenous drip to keep his level of liquids up. Occasionally he would manage to blubber out something resembling language and Nabiki could make out "families...... joined........ last....... so............... happy..............."

"Come Tendo" Genma boomed, bouyed by good spirits and a belly full of cheap saki Genma dragged Soun Tendo out the door and off to celebrate the joining of their families.

Nabiki narrowed her eyes as she glared at Ranma.

"You" Nabiki snarled "with me!"

"Me?" Ranma

"If we're married I'm going to get my monies worth!"

"What?" Ranma asked as Nabiki drug him upstairs "What?"

Kasumi looked across at Akane who still sat stunned on the couch beside her "Oh my!"

**THE END (Or maybe read a little further).**

Nabiki felt very good indeed, very comfortable, she would she decided, if she was a cat purr. Though considering where she was lying at the moment purring might not be a good idea.

'All in all' Nabiki thought 'things had worked out pretty well. I didn't think our fathers would ever find those plans I left lying about and Ranma didn't put up quite the fight I thought he would. In fact......'

"Ranma-kun" Nabiki purred, in spite of herself, Ranma shivered beneath her, she smiled as she worked her way upwards till her face was level with Ranma.

'He's a dumb jock. My dumb jock' Nabiki thought 'I can't believe I fell for him.'

As Ranma's arms encircled her Nabiki lowered her lips to his.

**THE END (Or maybe read a little further).**

'Yup' Ranma thought 'that worked real good. Pops and Tendo thought they out smarted me and Nabiki. Heh. I still can't believe Pops fell for the old leave a detailed April fool's joke lying around.

'Yup, the jokes on them alright. Nabiki too, I can't believe she drug me up here, I like her Ok, maybe, I just didn't want to get married to Akane. Maybe this'll work'

Nabiki stirred from where she was lying atop of Ranma "Ranma-kun"

Ranma shivered whether it was from the almost cat-like purr or from Nabiki's stroking hand he was unsure.

"Hmmmm" he hmmmmed.

Nabiki slithered up from where she was resting her head on his chest sending a thrill through Ranma as she did so, she paused when her eyes drew level with his, looked deeply into his eyes and her lips curled into a smile and lowered to his.

'Yup, real good' he thought.

**THE END (Or maybe read a little further).**

"They're at it again" Akane grumped looking at Kasumi who was watching the specks of dust falling from the ceiling underneath Nabiki's room.

'Oh my' Kasumi thought ' I never imagined there could be so much dust on the ceiling.'

"I don't feel like cooking, do you?" Akane asked.

Kasumi kept staring at the ceiling.

"Ramen ok for you?"

"Ramen." Kasumi echoed in a daze.

"Good" said Akane reaching for the phone "I feel like okonomiyaki."

Kasumi's eyes widened as her gaze shifted from the ceiling to Akane on the phone.

"Oh my!"

**THE END (Really, that's all, you can all go home now).**

Notes: Pure drivel I know. But as I was plotting the last few chapters of my other fan fiction this came to mind so I beat it out. This is very rough but at the moment I am working on a borrowed laptop, so I hope you enjoy it, such as it is.

On another tangent, yes, I am still working on my other fic. No, I haven't forgotten it.

It's just that like he said in the movie 'Life's what happens while you're making other plans.'


End file.
